JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman Softball ended the weekend on a high note at the JU Tournament. The team faced cancelled games on the first day and then was defeated in both games Saturday, to open the 2010 season. The Wildcats returned Sunday morning to face Drexel at the JU Softball Complex, coming away with a big-scoring inning in the seventh, breaking the deadlock and securing a 5-1 victory in the first game. Returning in the evening, tournament-host Jacksonville scored later in the game to get the 2-0 win over B-CU.
“I thought that both pitchers played better games today,” said Head Coach Chris Cochran. “We continued to get contributions, offensively, from many different people. We are anxious to get back out there and play next week.”
Overall, the game was a strong defensive showing; each team only generated one hit each through the first two innings. B-CU finally got on the board in the top of the third, as freshman Aurelia Gamch hit a double to center field, using their only hit of the inning to earn her first RBI and take a brief lead. DU answered right back in the bottom of the inning, deadlocking the score at 1-1, where it would stay through the sixth inning.
B-CU came up with a huge hitting inning, in the top of the seventh, as they were able to collect five hits, and four scores in the process. Liz Parrish set the tone for the inning on offense, cracking a left field home run as the leadoff batter, her second of the young season. Just two batters later, Tameika Jonas. Four batters later, B-CU tallied another run on the board, as a Sabrina Ferguson single pushed Aurelia Gamch across the plate. With the final out of the seventh, B-CU took a 5-1 lead, which turned final as DU went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the inning.
In hitting, Allison Garcia led the way for B-CU, collecting 3 hits on the day, followed closely by Allison Garcia, with 4 and 3 assists respectively.
Allison Garcia was back on the mound for Drexel, only collecting 2 strikeouts, but also only allowing 3 hits all game, and just a single earned run. The win moves Garcia's record to 1-1 and her season ERA to 2.08.
In Sunday's second game, the Wildcats and Dolphins battled it out defensively, keeping each other off the scoreboard through the third inning. Jacksonville broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth, scoring a single run on a B-CU fielding error. JU scored once more in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch.
After a strong offensive output in the first game of the day, B-CU was held to only four hits against JU, ending the game in a 2-0 defeat by the Dolphins.
Four players; Allison Garcia, Michelle Banuelos-Smith, each finished with one hit apiece. Making her 2010 debut, Brittani Austin led B-CU with 5 putouts, complimented by 4 putouts by Cesley Tafoya.
Chastity Sanders (0-2) started and finished the game on the mound for the wildcats, tallying 2 strikeouts, while allowing 1 earned run.
The Wildcats (1-3) head back onto the road next weekend, facing a challenging slate in the FIU Blue and Gold Felsberg Memorial Invitational in Miami, Fla., Feb. 19-21. The field consists of Florida International, Florida Gulf Coast, Wisconsin, and opens for the Wildcats with a 2:00 p.m. Friday matchup with Long Island.
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